Roxana Saberi Blogburst

Why is an American journalist and researcher languishing in an Iranian prison?

Roxana Saberi, an American journalist and former beauty queen from North Dakotah is in prison. In Iran. She’s been incarcerated in Evin Prison in Tehran since February. She was accused by the Iranian government initially of purchasing bootleg wine, then of practicing journalism without a license, and finally of espionage. Her trial, which lasted an hour, took place last Monday, and neither Saberi nor her lawyer was aware that a trial was even scheduled until it was actually happening. The outcome: Saberi was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for spying.

Ms. Saberi is now on the sixth day of a hunger strike, and is reported to be very weak. Her parents are in Tehran hoping for miracles. Michelle Malkin is providing excellent coverage of Ms. Saberi and other journalists and bloggers imprisoned in Evin Prison in Tehran.

What is the Obama administration doing about this? Well, according to the BBC, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed her deep concern about the detention of an Iranian-American journalist in Iran:

“We are deeply concerned by the news that we are hearing,” Mrs Clinton said.

Deeply concerned. How nice, Hillary.

What of President Obama? What is he doing to secure the release of an American citizen from a unjust accusation, a kangaroo court, and the horrors of an Iranian prison?

Obama, talking to reporters at a press conference at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, said that he is “gravely concerned with her safety and well-being.”

“We are working to make sure that she is properly treated and to get more information about the disposition of her case,” Obama said.

The president said the U.S. will be in contact with Swiss intermediaries “to ensure that we end up seeing a proper disposition of this case.”

I hope Ms. Saberi survives all the grave concern emanating from the White House.